Relatives, friends and links: Armida Mattiazzo, Bruno Piovesan, Dino Piovesan, Anna Santin
Leandro Bortoletto, born 2 March 1927, at Ponzano Veneto in the Province of Treviso, arrived in Adelaide in 1950. Attilio Piovesan sponsored Leandro. Attilio’s wife Claudina nee Mattiazzo, was Leandro’s first cousin.
When he first arrived, Leandro worked at GMH for six months and also helped Attilio in his market garden in Hoskin Avenue, off Frogmore Road in the area that the veneti used to call ‘Lockleys.’. He worked at the Last Chance mica mine at Harts Range in the Northern Territory, about 200 kms north-east of Alice Springs for four years.
Maria Bortoletto nee Zambon, born 22 March 1929 in Fontane, Province of Treviso, arrived in 1954 to marry Leandro. They had met each other through Leandro’s cousin in Italy. When they married in June 1954, Nillo Piovesan was best man, and Anna Santin was matron of honour. Maria also lived on the mica mine for some time before the couple returned to Adelaide. After leaving the mica mine, Leandro bought his own truck and worked for himself in Adelaide. Leandro and Maria rented a house from Attilio for 11 years. During that time Edda and Luciano were born. Leandro improved the house, and with Maria, helped out in the market garden growing tomatoes in glasshouses and potatoes. Leandro and Maria also had a small vegetable garden for their own use.
They left the Hoskin Avenue house in 1965, the last people to rent the property. Attilio sold the land to Nillo Piovesan in 1968. Leandro was very involved in the initial drive to form the Veneto Club in Adelaide. In 1971 he and Maria hosted a meeting to discuss the plans to get the Club started and over 100 people attended the event. He was a Foundation Member of the Club from 1972.
Leandro died in 1990 and Maria died in 2020.
